Is this Fresh Start our Bad Ending? (ON HIATUS)
by Tsurohito-Lianrie
Summary: It's fall semester, and Suhee has decided to enter college in the hopes of improving her art. Due to her compulsive shyness, she has trouble joining any clubs or making any friends-that is until she talks with Unknown. He seemingly helps her to join the RFA, a small charitable organization. Will joining be a good start for her, or will it be dangerous for everyone, including her?
1. New Semester, New Beginnings

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Mystic Messenger, it's universe, or it's characters. All credit goes to Cheritz. Naya Park does belong to me though.**

 **SPOILER ALERT for Zen's route, as well as minor spoilers for other character's routes and the Secret Ends. A lot might end up different due to the fact that it's a College AU, but still read at you're own discretion!**

 **Also, this story might get kind of dark (hence the rating), with some language as well as hints to physical abuse and torture.**

* * *

It's a new semester – a rare time that happens only twice a year. It's a time for new beginnings, and Suhee had arrived at the largest university in South Korea, hoping that she had a chance to start anew.

Suhee Yun is twenty-three, half American-half Korean, and stands at five feet and four inches tall. Due to her small stature, she was very petit and slim, but had hardly any curves or chest to speak of. What she couldn't make up in height or body definition, she made up for in her appearance and caring nature. She was still pretty average though; light peachy pink skin, straight as a rod chestnut brown locks with equally straight bangs that hung over her clear blue irises. The one feature that was still quite unique was the two beauty marks that adorned her face just under the corner of her right eye.

Gazing at the various large buildings before her anxiously, she began to fix her clothing to make sure that she was presentable. She went with a simple outfit today; a white button up shirt under a slightly loose fitting light dusty rose sweater that she rolled the sleeves up of, with a mid-thigh length brown skirt and dusty rose flats.

She was lucky to be able to attend this college, but she had a lot to live up to. Her sister had gone to this college before her, and despite the fact that she was only going to further her talent in art, her family was expecting great things to come from participating in her classes.

' _I'm not going to let that fear get to me though!'_ she thought, steeling herself after shaking out her nerves. _'Let's go in with our head held high!'_

Just as she was about to take her first step towards her future though, Suhee heard the sound of a motorcycle revving nearby. She found him immediately after turning to the source, mounted on his black "stallion". He parked it effortlessly, lowered the kickstand, and then turned off the engine before dismounting and removing his helmet.

Suhee could've sworn the man beneath it was an absolute masterpiece that had come to life, with his alabaster skin carved into the perfect appealing shape. And she couldn't forget his long silvery white locks bound in a low ponytail or his ruby red almond shaped eyes, which only added to his statuesque appearance. She couldn't help but stare at this very unnatural but handsome human being, letting her artist's mind wonder that if she drew him, would her piece ever hold a candle to the real thing. Unfortunately that moment was short lived, as he turned and noticed her staring.

Their eyes met, and it was his turn to take in her appearance as she watched his eyes study her. Suhee froze when their eyes met once more, this time seeing an approving smirk play on his lips. Once she saw that look, a fierce red color found its way to her cheeks and she turned tail and ran into the building to evade his attention and her further embarrassment.

She took a quick breather just inside by the doors, and then continued on her way to the offices, as she was a late arrival a few weeks into the semester. As she walked through the hallways, she took in all appearances of the students, but apart from the cyclist, only three others caught her artistic eye for some reason.

First there was a very tall equally handsome man in a suit with feathery black hair and stone grey eyes. He looked serious and unapproachable compared to the social flirty cyclist. As they passed by each other, she saw him deep in conversation with a female as tall as Suhee herself with wavy brown shoulder length hair and caramel brown colored eyes who wore a simple white button up shirt and dark grey skirt.

Later on she brushed shoulders with another unusual person with dark circles under his golden yellow colored eyes that all hid behind a set of large rounded square shaped yellow and black striped glasses. Suhee determined that he wasn't quite drawing material, but admired the color of the unkempt mop of hair upon his head, which was a nice bright vermillion. He didn't seem to notice her though, as he had his orange headphones on and plugged into his phone which he poured all of his attention into. Remarkably as she watched him continue on his way, he managed to narrowly avoid the other students in his path while his eyes remained glued to his phone. Once he disappeared out of sight, Suhee continued on her way to the office. She found it without any trouble and entered.

"Excuse me…I'm Suhee Yun, the late arrival?" she said hesitantly to the friendly male at the front desk.

"Yes, of course!" the male replied with a warm smile. "It'll be a while before we can get things sorted for you, so please take a seat over there."

He gestured to the row of chairs against the opposite wall and Suhee turned but refrained from taking one, because her compulsive shyness took over. You see, there was a young man sitting in one of them, snoozing away without a care in the world. He looked very young, too young to even be in college and had fluffy blonde hair, most of which was held back by a couple of brown hair clips.

Instead she turned to the billboard which was littered with various colorful fliers. She read them all while she waited…

A rather queer invitation to a group called 'Mint Eye', another invitation to partake in being _'waited on by handsome cat and rabbit eared men at the Dandelion Host Club'_ , and a super bright orange flyer claiming that a _'Defender of Justice 707 will repair and/or hack your electronic devices for a small fee'_ caught her eye the most, but she wasn't too sure about that Mint Eye one…

She was in the middle of reading one that was asking for hired help in the university café, when a door suddenly opened and what Suhee assumed was the counselor emerge from the office within.

"Yoosung Kim!" he announced in a strict tone, stirring the young blonde from his sleep, revealing bright violet colored eyes. He was a little slow on the uptake, glancing around for the source of the voice. His eyes met Suhee's for a brief moment, and he flashed a sheepish smile at her before unwillingly following the elder man into the office.

After that happened, the friendly male returned with some introductory papers and pamphlets and handed them to Suhee while saying, "Now I formally welcome you to SKY University. In these papers I've handed you are some helpful pointers for new arrivals like you, as well as your schedule and a list of clubs you might be interested in. Your guide should be here any second n-."

"Hey there, my neighbor!" a female interrupted excitedly as she entered, causing all heads to turn towards her.

The ecstatic female looked to be at least twenty four, part Hispanic-part Korean, and was about five feet seven inches tall. She was a little more heavy set with an average sized chest and she was tan – which was how they could tell she was part Hispanic. She had very dark purple-red colored eyes and very light aqua hair. It was parted on the right side of her head, and unevenly cut, with the right side touching her ear, and the left angling down to her collarbone. She didn't seem to be wearing a whole lot of makeup, just some dusty rose lipstick and heavily lined eyeliner with thick wings.

She wore a plum colored sweatshirt crop top with the sleeves rolled up her arms a little, revealing at least three tattoos. The one seen on her right inner wrist looked to be an audio bar and playing options along with the words 'Music is Life'. One of the tattoos on her left arm on the inside was a pair of headphones where the cord coming from them mad a sound pattern with a heart in the middle of it. The other on the outer side was a colorful tattoo of a golden orange gazania flower paired with a blue anemone flower along with other small purple berries and some long green leaves. Over the sweatshirt she wore dark denim overall shorts, and on her feet were mid-calf socks that matched the color of her top, and dark greyish green lace up boots.

"Naya, what are you doing here?" the male commented with surprise, almost scolding her. "Suhee's guide was supposed be from the Art department…" – he trailed off and shock replaced his scolding tone – "Surely you didn't…"

"I've taken her place." The female called Naya confessed shamelessly. "But only because she was busy finishing a project and I _really_ wanted to meet my dorm neighbor!" – she was pouting by now – "So will you get off my case? You sound like my Grandpapi!"

The young man sighed and then turned to Suhee. "This is Naya Park. Apparently now she's your guide." – he cleared his throat and lightened his tone – "You don't have to worry about attending classes today, so take the time to get settled. Enjoy the rest of your day!"

And with that, the two set off after they introduced themselves formally. Naya showed her around most of the university, adding her own little fun facts to spice things up. Suhee rather enjoyed it, despite being shy at first. Finally the two set foot in their own department; Fine Arts.

"So you must be a painter, if you're majoring in art." Naya casually commented.

"Yes, but my strong suit is sketching," she replied. "I also dabble a bit in photography, but I feel like I can't improve any more on my own, so I came here to learn more to hone my skills." – there was a thoughtful pause – "What do you do, Naya?"

"I play violin in the orchestra here. I'm thinking of going solo though. Kind of finding my own flow." Naya trailed off, and as they approached a set of lonely double doors, she got all excited again. "You're gonna like this!"

She approached the doors with a curious Suhee in tow and before opening one of them she announced, "This…is the theater department's largest practice stage – only used for the best of the best productions with the most talented majoring actors! Would you like to witness the magic that happens within?"

Suhee merely nodded silently, and the door was open for her so she could see what was going on. Naya might've exaggerated a bit, because beyond the door wasn't really a true stage, but just a third of the floor raised a foot to emulate a stage. The rest was rather clear except for a couple rows of chairs, and the even more chairs were stacked up against the walls.

But that wasn't what Suhee had her gaze trained on because the cyclist she encountered earlier was currently center stage. He looked so dedicated to the part he played, with his graceful gestures and his well carried smooth voice it was as if the character he was playing had come to life in the real world. Suhee couldn't help but be enamored once more with this man, but it was short lived (again) when the door was closed suddenly. She turned a questioning gaze to Naya and wanted to ask, but remained silent. Naya of course picked up on this and explained.

"I saw you making goo-goo eyes at him just now." She said, suddenly uncharacteristically serious. "Unfortunately that guy in there is unreachable."

"Why?" Suhee was even more curious now. "Who is he?"

"You don't know? I thought you would know…" Naya was a little befuddled, but she explained anyway. "That guy you were just ogling is Zen. He's very well known in and outside this university, as well as on the internet for his deadly good looks and talent in theater, dance, and music."

The chestnut haired female's eyes widened with concern. "Deadly…?"

"If you're a fan, then yes. He's his fans' shareware and heaven forbid if you try and claim him for yourself. A guy like him would be done in the show business if he was caught in a scandal." Naya explained. "Unfortunately even the chance of a fan hooking up with him will become impossible; because Echo Girl has enrolled and is starting this semester too…No doubt it's because of Zen…"

"Echo Girl…?"

"Geez girl, you really do live under a rock, don't you? C'mon. I'll explain on the way to the dorms…"

And so Suhee was guided to her room, where the two females started to unpack her things. At first Suhee was against it, but Naya was very insistent and so she gave in. It took up pretty much the rest of the day (Suhee didn't really pack all that much to send over), and when evening came, the two had dinner in the cafeteria and then Naya bid her neighbor goodnight.

 _Suhee was finally alone._

She sat on her bed, phone in hand and debated with herself on whether or not to call her parents. But at that moment the events that had happened earlier that day flashed through her mind and she became tired. So she lay down and stared at the ceiling, wondering how her new life was going to be and if she had made the right choice to come here when she was so compulsively shy…

* * *

 **I'm feeling a little charitable, so today you get _two_ _chapters_! Enjoy!**


	2. A Push in the Right Direction?

**Just a heads up; this chapter has some chatroom content in it from the prologue. Some of it is the same, but some _is different._ Also, as I can't use the sprites for the character's emojis, I have assigned various Japanese emoticons to them to express themselves.**

* * *

Unfortunately for Suhee, the change she was looking for wasn't happening as quick as she wanted it to. A month passed and she remarkably got closer to Naya, but that was just about it. She hadn't made any friends in her classes, joined any clubs, or even applied for a job, which were all the things on her to-do list. Eventually she just chalked it up to the fact that she needed more time, but the real truth was that she didn't.

What she really and truly needed was a push…

It was a rather slow uneventful afternoon, and Suhee was passing the time surfing the university's site for a club. She wasn't looking to join, so she just browsed through seemingly endless pages of them, reading through the occasional description that would catch her eye. She just clicked to go to the next page, when she got a pm in her mailbox. She gazed at it, confused because Naya shouldn't have been online at the time, as she currently had her own extracurricular activities and was currently busy.

 _ **So who could it be?**_

Curiosity got the better of her, so she opened it to find that the message was from an "Unknown". Wondering who exactly that was she clicked on the username link, only to be directed to a blank page. Odd…

Suhee went back to her mailbox and opened the message. Within it was a link. She clicked on it and was sent to a private chatroom. Unknown soon followed and was the first to speak…

 **Suhee, Unknown**

 **Unknown:** Hello…?

* * *

Suhee was unsure at first, speaking to a stranger on the internet was a little scary for her. But she wanted to know why he led her here, so she sent her reply…

* * *

 **Suhee:**?

 **Unknown:** Can you see this?

 **Suhee:** Who are you?

 **Unknown:** I'm sure you're surprised and perhaps apprehensive. _**It's not every day you get a pm from a stranger.**_ Anyway…I couldn't help but feel for you. You see, I feel as if we're kindred spirits and I want to help you.

 **Suhee:** First…Who are you?

 **Unknown:** Me? Oh, sorry. _**How insensitive of me for not introducing myself.** _I'm just…a student finishing my studies here and planning to go abroad soon. I could tell you my name, but it doesn't really matter. You won't find me on any search engines. ^^; But anyways… _ **I would really like to help.**_

* * *

She wondered why he was so eager to help and why he was acting like they were close, so she voiced her concerns.

* * *

 **Suhee:** …Why are you talking to me as if I'm your friend?

 **Unknown:** Oh. Sorry if I'm being so forward ^^; It's just that I've noticed you looking so lonely, and I'm such a lonely person too. I vowed that I would help you before I leave, so here I am, and so are you. Help me ease my Samaritan heart…Please?

 **Suhee:** Fine…But I'm logging out right away if it feels sketchy.

 **Unknown:** You trust me…Thank you! Now I'm going to send you a link for an app on your phone. I want you to try and go there.

* * *

The address came through, and Suhee couldn't help but feel confused.

* * *

 **Suhee:** I thought you were going to help me join a club…

 **Unknown:** Yes! I am. This app is just what the members use to communicate and it'll be easier to join if you've downloaded it first.

 **Suhee:** Okay…I'll download it…

* * *

She went to her phone and did so, but before she could open it, she had to enter a numeric passcode. She returned to the chatroom.

* * *

 **Suhee:** Um…

 **Unknown:** You need the password, don't you? Don't worry! I'm well known for these types of things, so I've got you covered. **[Link for the password]**

* * *

Suhee gazed at the link with uncertainty, her stomach starting to churn. She felt this was wrong, and that something bad was bound to happen if she opened this app.

* * *

 **Suhee:** I'm sorry. I can't do this. I have to back out now…

 **Unknown:** What? No. You're helping me redeem myself. Besides, soon you'll see the hottie-Woops…Typo. Put in the password. Make some friends. _You need to, don't you…?_

* * *

Suhee couldn't help but feel that he was right. If this was what she had to do to make some friends, then she would do it. She would take the risk, no matter the consequences…

* * *

 **Suhee:** Okay…Alright.

 **Unknown:** Good girl.

* * *

She put in the password. It was right.

* * *

 **Suhee:** I can open the app now.

 **Unknown:** Good luck and have fun!

 **Suhee:** I guess I will.

* * *

The app was open now. Suhee had her gaze focused on her phone, so she didn't catch Unknown's last message before the chatroom was automatically closed…

* * *

 **Unknown: _Th-ank-you…_**

 **...**

It took a few minutes for the app to load and for Suhee to sign up, and as soon as that was sorted, she was instantly thrown into an active chatroom. It was hard to follow at first as she was caught off guard, but she soon caught up with the conversation.

Apparently "Yoosung*" was having troubles concentrating in class, earning himself failing grades. "707" chalked it up to him playing too much LOLOL so late at night. Suhee found that "Jumin Han" was being rather nice, offering "Yoosung*" a job at his company if he keeps his GPA in check. But "ZEN" (Suhee's heart skipped a beat, thinking of the actor) said it was only nepotism. There was then a small debate on how nepotism and recruitment were different or the same. That was when they noticed her presence in the chatroom; or rather, "707" did….

* * *

 **Jumin Han, ZEN, 707, Yoosung*,**

 **Jaehee Kang, Suhee**

 **707:** Wait!

 **Yoosung*:** Why?

 **ZEN:** ?

 **707: _Think someone entered the chatroom;;_**

* * *

This comment sent chills down her spine and made her stomach do flips, as if she was caught doing something bad. The chat continued with the others starting to get suspicious.

* * *

 **Jumin Han:** Suhee…?

 **ZEN:** Wtf. How did it get in here?

 **707: _Hacker!_**

 **Yoosung*:** Hacker!? There's a hacker in over room! Sevnee do something!

 **ZEN:** Hey, typos. -_-;;

 **707:** Wait a sec. I'm searching.

 **Jumin Han:** Who are you? Reveal yourself. Hey, Assistant Kang.

 **Jaehee Kang:** Yes, I am still here. And please don't call me that. I'm not your assistant.

 **Jumin Han:** Not yet.

 **Jaehee Kang:** 눈_눈

 **ZEN:** You were so quiet I thought you went somewhere.

 **Jaehee Kang:** Nothing was out of the ordinary, so I was just watching. But I see something has just happened.

 **Yoosung*:** omg

 **Jumin Han:** Do you have any idea why there is a stranger in the chatroom?

 **Jaehee Kang:** No one can enter this chatroom without installing the private app we use…It seems that someone has done just that.

 **Yoosung*:** I thought Seven only let us download it? ( ・◇・)？

* * *

At this time Suhee really felt like she was in deep trouble, because she felt that "Unknown" was someone else entirely and he had led her to download the app without "Seven's" permission. She felt like logging out and deleting the app, but she knew she was already in too deep to come out of this Scott free.

* * *

 **ZEN:** Maybe someone downloaded the app on two phones?

 **707:** Maybe?

 **Jumin Han:** Who would download it twice though?

 **Yoosung*:** Not me! I'm too poor to own two phones… ˚‧º·(˚ ˃̣̣̥᷄⌓˂̣̣̥᷅ )‧º·˚

* * *

She had the urge to say something now, and the time was now or never, so…

* * *

 **Suhee:** Hello…

 **Yoosung*:** Gahhhh! It's talking! (((( ;°Д°))))

 **ZEN:** So it's not two smartphones.

 **Jumin Han:** Who is it?

 **Yoosung*:** Find out what it is!

* * *

She didn't appreciate how they were calling her 'it', but continued to watch as the others remained quite calm while trying to figure out who she was.

* * *

 **Jumin Han:** How did you find out about this place? Where did you download the application?

* * *

She moved to answer but…

* * *

 **707: _Oh…^^; Wait._** Just found something. This is interesting.

 **ZEN:** What is it? Hurry and tell me.

 **707:** I traced the IP…It's coming from the girl's dorm, second floor, room…202.

* * *

She froze at his accuracy and blanked out a little, but still managed to follow the continuing conversation.

* * *

 **Yoosung*:** From the… ** _girl's dorm?_** ⊂(〃°﹏ °〃)⊃

 **ZEN:** So we're talking with a female? ヽ(~3º)シ *º

 **Jumin Han:** Obviously. (;-_-)ノ

 **707:** She talked just now, so she must be a person. ^^;

 **Yoosung*:** So she hacked the program, Seven?

 **707:** She's remaining silent so she must have.

 **Yoosung*:** Who are you!? Where did you get this app!? Gah~ So scared right now… (ﾉ￣д￣)ﾉ I thought the app had a pass worh lobk?

 **ZEN:** Typo.

 **Jaehee Kang:** It must have been hacked into, just like Seven said. Username "Suhee" I recommend that you confess.

 **ZEN:** Jaehee, would you voluntarily confess to everything if it were you?

 **Jaehee Kang:** No, but it was good to ask first.

 **707:** Lolol

* * *

Suddenly the uneasy lightness in the conversation took a scary turn with the next comment.

* * *

 **Jumin Han:** Quit shitting around. Suhee…Who are you? Reveal yourself, stranger. If you do not do so, you will pay.

 **ZEN:** Stranger you will pay? Lmfao. But seriously, chill dude. You're going to scare the girl away and then we won't be able to meet her. ヽ(~3º)シ *º

 **707:** That's kindof unfair to ur fans Zen. U should watch ur flirting tendencies now that ur a famous actor.

 **ZEN:** I'm not famous;; Just a bit recognizable.

 **707:** Nah~ Look at the Youtube hits~

* * *

This guy _must've_ been Zen the theater major, but she would have to look him up on Youtube later. She made a mental note to do so.

* * *

 **ZEN:** Dude. Stawp;;

 **707:** lolol

 **Jaehee Kang:** That video is still excellent no matter how many times I watch it.

 **Yoosung*:** Zen, when do you start on the next production?

 **ZEN:** Don't know. We're still waiting on what play the professor approves of. I've definitely made it to the large production again this time though.

 **Yoosung*:** He's definitely a celebrity lol! I can't wait to tell my classmates and friends about it!

 **Jumin Han:** Hey. **_Don't get distracted._**

* * *

She giggled as they were brought back to the main problem, but quickly became concerned for her standing in the situation.

* * *

 **Yoosung*:** Oh right. Username Suhee…

 **Jaehee Kang:** …A complete stranger.

 **707:** My hands are shaking as I hack.

 **Jumin Han:** Who are you? Reveal yourself now.

 **Yoosung*:** Yeees! Who are u!?

 **ZEN:** Use proper English please Yoosung…

 **707:** If she doesn't say anything I'll hack in and find out.

 **ZEN:** She could be nervous. Maybe she's…one of my fans?

 **Jumin Han:** ლ(ಠ益ಠლ

* * *

Suhee paused. If now was the time to introduce herself, then she had to step up and do it. They might be strangers to her right now, but maybe she could clear this up with them. Maybe soon they might be…friends to her…

* * *

 **Suhee:** I'm Suhee Yun…

* * *

She was going to type more, but was interrupted.

* * *

 **ZEN:** Wait. Is it just me, or does this not feel right?

 **Yoosung*:** ( ・◇・)？What do you mean?

 **Jumin Han:** Elaborate.

 **ZEN:** I just feel like it would probably make Suhee feel more comfortable if she meets us in person…Wouldn't you agree? *(*´∀｀*)

* * *

Suhee blushed…but he was right.

* * *

 **Suhee:** Ah! Um…yes.

 **707:** …I'm in the meeting room right now. We can all meet there if that's okay with everyone else?

 **ZEN:** I've definitely got some free time.

 **Yoosung*:** I'm in! Of course, I'd rather be playing LOLOL, but doing this is at least better than homework.

 **Jumin Han:** (;-_-)ノI guess I can forgo returning home for a while longer…

 **Jaehee Kang:** I admit I am quite curious, so I will be coming too.

 **707:** Great! We'll meet within the hour. (ﾉ´▽｀)ﾉ

 **Yoosung*:** See you all then!

 **Jumin Han:** Yes.

 **ZEN:** I can't wait~

 **Jaehee Kang:** It's been a while since we've all met up. Seeing Zen again in the flesh will certainly lift my spirits. (⁎⁍̴̛͂▿⁍̴̛͂⁎)*✲ﾟ*｡⋆

 **Jumin Han has left the chatroom.**

 **Yoosung Kim has left the chatroom.**

 **Jaehee Kang has left the chatroom.**

 **ZEN has left the chatroom.**

 **707:** I'll send you the directions in a moment, but I'm going to need a favor first.

* * *

Suhee was confused for a minute and immediately voiced her concern with a question.

* * *

 **Suhee:** Alright. What is it?

 **707:** Whether you hacked in or not, I just want to be sure of some things, so can you bring any electronics you own with you?

 **Suhee:** Okaaay…

 **707:** Great! (ﾉ´▽｀)ﾉ See you there! **[Directions to RFA meeting room]**

 **707 has left the chatroom.**

* * *

With everyone having left the chatroom, Suhee had no choice but to leave it too and gather up what "707" asked for before heading to their meeting place…

* * *

 **Suhee has left the chatroom.**

* * *

 **Sorry for a the line breaks, but I just want to separate the chat from what's happening in real life. Anyway, hope you look forward to the next chapter, where Suhee will meet everyone for real!**


	3. Initiation: Welcome to the RFA!

Suhee quickened her pace, as she was late and probably the last to arrive. At least the directions were pretty easy to follow and she found the meeting room without any trouble. When she reached the door however, Suhee hesitated.

Some of them had sounded rather upset in the chatroom for her sudden intrusion. What if they persuaded the rest to turn her in instead of helping her? Those feelings stopped her in her tracks at the door. She had the option to turn around and head back to her room, delete the app and possibly never interact with the members ever again. But that action would lead to her leading a lonely life…

' _I won't get anywhere with these thoughts!'_ she thought while shaking her head vigorously. _'I don't want to lead a lonely life! It's time to stand up for myself and get out there. This is my first step!'_

She steeled herself, turned the door knob with one quick twist, and pulled the door open with her eyes shut tight.

"Oh. She's cute~" was the first thing she heard from a male with a light hearted almost joking voice as a chuckle from him followed. Suhee could feel her cheeks heat up while two other voices agreed with the first; one of them sounding boyish and the other slightly flirty yet smooth.

A fourth very serious male's voice followed as she heard him ask her a question. "How long are you going to stand there with your eyes shut tight like an idiot?"

The flirty voice was quicker than Suhee to reply. "Hey dude, you don't treat a girl like that. She might just be shy…"

"I feel like I've seen her someplace before…" the boyish voice commented out of the blue thoughtfully.

"Jaehee I'm surprised you haven't said anything yet~" the first voice chimed in with a slightly playful tone.

"Nothing has come to mind that's worth saying." A female's voice rang out, somewhat cold and distant. "Though it would be nice if she could show some trust and open her eyes…" There were a few hums of agreement and that was when Suhee opened her eyes.

At first it was a little bright, but then the room came into view. It wasn't too small or too big; somewhere in the middle. And it was long, with a long table in the middle. On the wall to the right was a whiteboard, and on the wall to the left was a flat screen television. On the far wall, opposite of the door was a set up of three computer monitors on a desk with a couple of keyboards lying on the desktop and a plush office chair nearby.

Once she had taken in her surroundings, she then noticed the members and their varying expressions of concern and disdain. Despite being guilty and embarrassed by their expressions, she happened to recognize them as the people that caught her interest on her first day.

"You're Suhee Yun?" the white haired male she knew as Zen asked her curiously.

"Y-Yes, that's me…" she answered with a stutter, cheeks already going pink from his steady scarlet gaze.

A smirk immediately appeared as his flirty side took over when he said, "Well, it's nice to finally know the name of the pretty brunette who's had her eyes on me since her first day." To top it off, he gave her a playful wink, making her go even redder as she now assumed he had her figured out.

"No fair Zen! You already know her!?" the young blonde she first saw in the office pouted with surprise and anger. He then became indecisive and gazed at the other members in turn before continuing. "Should _we_ …introduce ourselves…?"

The tall black haired male voice his disapproval by replying with, "Are you serious?"

The female soon followed apprehensively with, "I think it's too early f-."

"You probably already know of me by now, but I'm Zen. Twenty-four, majoring in theater. Musicals are my thing but maybe someday my face will be on the big screen…" the white haired male spoke up, taking the opportunity to introduce himself first. "My only request is that you _don't look me up on the internet_ …It's a bit embarrassing…" He finished with a wink, as if to imply that she go against his wishes.

Soon after the blonde commented that he was brave, but the raven haired male said that he was only showing himself off, to which Zen responded with a shameless "No way~".

It was the red haired male's turn to introduce himself next.

"My nickname's 707, but you can call me Seven or even Defender of Justice!" – he posed dramatically – "Don't ask for my real name though. It's a secret~" he told her after stepping forward, revealing that he was the owner of the lighthearted joking voice. He leaned in, as if to tell her a secret and continued in a stage whisper. "FYI…Zen's real name is Hyun Ryu."

"Oi!" Zen chimed in, almost embarrassed and borderline annoyed. "Your name's a secret but not mine?"

Seven chortled in response and then turned his attention back to her. "Did you bring what I asked for?"

Suhee nodded and placed her messenger bag (with laptop within) into his eagerly waiting hands. He hung the bag's strap over his shoulder and continued to hold his hand out, waiting for something more. She gazed at it confusingly and uttered, "Um…"

"Cellphone." He answered. "I just want to be thorough."

She hesitated for a moment, but eventually placed her phone in his hand slowly. He was about to return to his place by the computers, when she stopped him by asking, "You…You're not going to look at _everything_ …are you…?"

"I'm sorry, but I will if I have to." He replied and then continued on his way. "Oh, and you can remember me as the twenty-two year old hacker."

"Don't worry. Seven majors in computer science, so your electronics are in good hands." The blonde commented, attracting her attention to him. "It's a little embarrassing to tell you my major though." – he blushed, letting out a lighthearted laugh – "Anyway I'm Yoosung Kim, twenty-one years old…and that's all I have…" He trailed off awkwardly while turning an expectant gaze to the last two unknown members.

The apprehensive female stepped forward and slightly unwillingly she introduced herself.

"I'm Jaehee Kang. I major in business and currently run the café the university owns on the side…I'm twenty-six, if you must know…"

"And that tight lipped man there is Jumin Han." Seven spoke up for the raven haired man, assuming he wasn't going to do so. "He majors in business too and is heir to a pretty famous corporation. He's twenty-seven."

All the while the man who was being introduced glared at Suhee, trying to discern whether she was a threat or not. His gaze made her uneasy, but the comments that followed about him owning a cat made him seem not so foreboding. Seven even showed her a picture of him lovingly feeding his cat, which was elegantly named "Elizabeth the 3rd". The conversation continued on like so until Zen suggested that they stop talking about cats and Jaehee brought their focus back to Suhee, the so called "stranger".

"So, where did you download our app and how did you get the password?" Seven asked her for a start.

"It started with a pm I got on my laptop, which had a link that led me to a private chatroom. That's where I met 'Unknown'. He told me he'd help me join a club because I was so closed off, and he gave me all the information." Suhee explained slowly.

"Unknown?" the man named Jumin uttered with disbelief.

"Come show me." Seven almost ordered, beckoning her over to her laptop which was still unlocked and now open on the desktop. She did so and searched for what she had described, but neither the message or the chatroom were anywhere to be found.

"That's…odd." She uttered with fear, tears threatening to pour down her cheeks. "I could've sworn I left all of it open! I really did!"

"Hey, it's okay." The red haired male consoled her calmly. She gazed up at him and he smiled before moving her away gently and then proceeded to wiggle his fingers eagerly at the laptop. "707, Defender of Justice will take it from here!"

He then started to work his magic, his fingers gliding quickly and effortlessly over the keys. Suhee watched speechless while he continued, then stopped for a moment to dial a number on his phone just as Jaehee suggested they "contact V".

"Already on it." Seven answered, back to typing again.

Suhee backed away to let him do his work and turned to the others as she asked curiously, "Who's V?"

Zen exchanged a thoughtful gaze with the other members in turn before replying with, "V is…like our boss."

"He's our evil mastermind." Seven chimed in.

"…or not." Jumin corrected, not wanting her to have the wrong idea. "He's the person who has control of this chatroom and the organization we're in." – he paused and then continued half to himself – "I hope he'll be able to take care of this mess."

The others added that V rarely ever kept in touch with them because he, along with the others, has been busy with their lives lately. One thing's for sure, they were all looking forward to talking with him again, despite having to call him for something bad that he had to help fix.

"Excuse me, but I have another question." Suhee spoke up.

"I expect you have many." Jumin commented as a matter of factly.

"It's about the chatrooms." She continued after a pause. "I know they're used for you to be able to talk with each other, but what is the app itself used for?"

The four who faced her now exchanged uncertain gazes and Yoosung was the first of them to speak up. "Should we tell her?" he inquired. "I mean, she has to know how serious it is that she's gotten into such a secure app."

Zen was silent in thought, concern flashing across his face. Jaehee and Jumin however, were adamant in voicing their concerns for the stranger they couldn't trust yet. Jaehee mentioned that she had the police's number ready to dial if anything got out of hand. Jumin said, "Until we figure out exactly who Suhee is, I don't want to reveal anything more…" Jaehee agreed, but Zen and Yoosung were still unsure; at least until Seven assured them.

"I've searched through every nook and cranny on her devices…" he informed them while still typing away. "She's clean, even though I still haven't found the chatroom or personal message. Seems like the Unknown you're talking about has hacked in and removed all traces of them…"

"Can we trust her though?" Jaehee asked.

"What does V say?" Jumin questioned further.

"I'll let him tell you himself." Seven replied as he finished typing on his monitors. "He should be appearing on the wall monitor…" – he pressed one last key – "Now."

The screen on the wall turned on and Suhee could finally see who this "V" was. He looked to be tall and slim, with turquoise colored eyes and hair. His hair was short and slightly fluffy, as well as parted on the right side. The bangs almost covered his eyes, which looked a little hollow yet still expressed kindness. All she could see him wearing was a simple dark grey wide necked shirt under a lighter grey sweater jacket, and a simple rectangle pendant on a black cord.

"V, you're on." Seven announced as he entered the web cam's field of vision along with everyone else.

"Hey, I guess I'm the last one to find out about this…" V said sheepishly before changing his tone to a more lighthearted one. "How's everyone doing? Jaehee, I almost didn't recognize you with your hair grown out. You look well."

"Yes. It has been a while." The wavy haired female said in reply a little shyly.

Everyone seemed happy or relieved to see V again, Suhee noticed. All except Yoosung. He didn't seem eager to speak with the man, but made the effort to anyway as he greeted with a simple "Hey V." The turquoise haired man was a little shaken by the young man's greeting, but still returned it warmly nonetheless. He then continued, addressing the problem at hand.

"Well, I heard about the whole situation. I assume you're the 'Suhee Yun' in question?" V focused his gaze on her and she nodded silently. "Now as I understand it, you've downloaded our app and logged in using the info from a stranger you met in a chatroom on your laptop?"

Suhee answered with a "Yes,", and a very concerned Jumin asked, "What do you make of her story?"

"While it does sound a bit farfetched…" V answered calmly and thoughtfully. "It does seem to hold true, at least with the way Luciel explained it to me."

"Luciel?" Suhee couldn't help but ask aloud curiously, embarrassing herself in the process.

Luckily Zen was kind enough to explain to her in a low voice. "That's Seven's real name. 'Luciel Choi'."

"I believe it's his baptismal name." Jumin added louder with thought.

"That aside," Seven quickly spoke up, seeming embarrassed now. "What about the stranger Suhee chatted with?"

"If he knew about the app as well as the password to get in…" V replied carefully. "It might've been someone Rika knew and trusted."

Suhee was confused at the mention of "Rika" while everyone else became shocked. Jumin repeated the last statement with surprise and intrigue. V sensed the sudden change in mood and insisted he was only guessing.

"But still…To think this 'Unknown' could've possibly known Rika." Seven uttered, gears turning in his mind. "She probably trusted him just as much or even more than V."

Yoosung chimed in defensively saying, "I don't believe it! She couldn't have trusted anyone else more than us…"

"I have to say…it's a bit surprising though…" Zen commented, almost speechless.

"I can hardly believe it myself, but we shouldn't assume that we knew everything about Rika…" V explained, bringing order once more. "After all, she…had a deep world of her own…" It didn't seem like he was revealing much, but in his eyes Suhee could see that he probably knew more than he was letting on.

The conversation continued with the topic of Rika and what she used to do, and if she really used Unknown to 'call' Suhee for the purpose of continuing her work. And then it came right back to whether Suhee could be trusted enough to join and continue in Rika's will.

By this time she was good and lost, so she spoke up once more and asked, "Um…Who is this 'Rika' you keep mentioning?"

Zen asked if they were allowed to tell her, but Jaehee and Jumin were still uncertain about sharing so much information with her, when she could be lying. Suhee was about to explain, but V took over and calmed them both, reassuring them with these words…

"Thank you for your opinions, but I would appreciate it if you could trust your old classmate." – he gave them a reassuring smile – "If Suhee is not to be trusted, we can deal with it then." They both backed down and Seven proposed they finally explain the RFA and Rika to Suhee.

And so, in bits and pieces from all the members' explanations, she learned about their "club" or so called association and its founder Rika.

In a nutshell, Rika founded the "Rika's Fundraising Association", wanting to bring college students from all walks of life and cultures to interact and raise money for charity. She was V's old girlfriend, and she hosted a few successful parties before unfortunately ending her own life without any warning, a note or will left behind. A distraught V then dropped out of the university and continued as a freelance photographer.

"I still can't believe all this…" Jumin commented once all was explained.

"It's going to be hard going back to normal with someone other than Rika organizing the parties…" Yoosung added with a bittersweet smile.

"But if we continue on like this without a coordinator, there's really no need for the organization to continue…" Zen explained.

"You're right, but we don't even really know her, and we can't exactly go by Rika's word because we're not even sure of it yet." The raven haired man agreed, and then expressed his distrust.

"I don't know…there's just something about her." The white haired male replied in her defense. "Plus, she showed up here to meet us when she could've just bailed. That alone makes me trust her a bit."

Jumin raised an inquiring eyebrow. "It's not just because Suhee's a girl?"

Zen blushed and was about to refute, when V finally spoke. "I know that all this is hard to take in at the moment, but maybe Suhee really was chosen by Rika." He said, seeming a bit delayed. "Luciel will look into the person called 'Unknown', so for now just believe in me and wait."

"You're not coming through very well, V." Seven announced casually as the video feed was starting to break up.

"Yeah, you're right. I should probably leave." V replied. "Suhee, Luciel will let you in on the details of the app, since he knows best how it works." – he then turned his focus to the raven haired member – "Jumin. Remember that you're the acting president, so continue to watch over the organization for me."

The man in question agreed after a brief pause, and then V hung up as the screen went blank. Suhee then got a rundown of the app and how it worked. Once she got the basics, Jumin approached her.

"Suhee, all we are trying to do as an organization is bring people together to raise funds for a good cause." He said to her. "I understand that you still might be nervous and apprehensive…but you will never regret if you join." – he paused – "Will you join the RFA and help us host parties again?"

Suhee thought for a moment. Surely this sort of thing wasn't for such a timid person like her. But she felt this could be a good way to break out of her shell and do something meaningful in the process. "Okay. I'll try it."

Smiles appeared all around (even Jumin smiled the slightest) and Suhee was registered immediately before she could change her mind. While Seven set her app up and got her truly registered, Suhee found that there was still a little uncertainty from Jaehee.

"I'm still not sure about this." She commented. "Judging from our recent interactions and acceptance, I fear she might not be as careful and timid as she lets on…"

"Is there something you do not like about her?" Jumin asked curiously.

"Maybe she's jealous because she's no longer the only female~" Zen stated.

"Aww~ Jaehee don't be like that." Seven teased.

" _It's not like that!_ " the brunette denied loudly, blushing.

Yoosung approached Suhee with a very bright and laidback smile. "I'm just glad we have another girl now – no offence Jaehee, but it was a total sausage fest until now!" he said with a laugh. "Anyway Suhee, if you have any questions at all, don't be afraid to ask them!"

She thanked him and then her electronics were returned.

"I've registered you properly now and adjusted your app for your comfort." Seven explained as he briefly pointed out the various options her app had to offer. "I also put up a special firewall of my own design on your laptop to keep Unknown out. Just let me know if anything else happens and I'll take care of it."

They all then formally welcomed her in turn before disbanding for the day. Suhee wasn't exactly sure what was in store for her, but she hoped that things would be better for her from here on out.

* * *

 **Another very long chapter, but the prologue part is finally over (geez, you have no idea how long it took to write the script let alone decide what I wanted to keep or leave out...). Anyway, now that this part is over, we'll be seeing some original content to begin with, before diving into the first part of Zen's route. This is in a different format, so events will be more spread out.**

 **One more thing; this was M for mature before, but upon seeing that most of the fics with Zen were smut, I changed it to T because I didn't want to give anyone the wrong idea. There will still be mentions of torture and abuse/bullying, but _no smut._**


	4. Inquiring Minds Must Know!

The days that followed passed even quicker for Suhee, now that she had parties to coordinate and more friends to occupy her free time between classes and art projects. With Christmas looming closer however, there wasn't a whole lot she could do.

So she did her best, but she wasn't alone in this. The other members pitched in too, helping all they could so she wouldn't be left dead in the water. Despite all the last minute preparations (a huge factor being the guests and who to invite), the Christmas party was a rather big success. This in turn caused Suhee to gain the members' full trust and so deepened her relationships with them.

The first she had befriended almost instantly were Seven and Yoosung; the jokester and procrastinating gamer respectively. They were younger than Suhee by a year or two, yet acted like children – or at least Seven did.

Despite that, she rather liked Seven's outgoing behavior, and at times wished she could be as much. She enjoyed his jokes, at least to the point where he started teasing Yoosung, but she also felt that was only one side to him. She didn't know if he was going to show another side (if he indeed had one), and she didn't want to pry for fear of him closing himself off from her.

Yoosung on the other hand, was lighthearted and very carefree and that's all he ever was. He tended to play his video games (mostly LOLOL – League of Loneliness of Life) rather than doing homework or focusing on his studies. Suhee wasn't all that much into gaming, but the young blonde was still a pleasure to be around and she regarded him as the little brother she never had. Despite having to disprove that she was Rika to him, she remarkably got him back on track with his studies and she tutored him on occasion.

In contrast to the two youngest, the two oldest were a bit wary of Suhee at first, but once she proved herself with the Christmas party, they opened up a little to her.

Jaehee was a bit quicker as she related with Suhee, being a female herself. The two females easily clicked once Jaehee learned that Suhee was a fellow fan of Zen. When the two became close, Jaehee persuaded Suhee to take a position at the café, hence adding to her busy schedule. Suhee didn't mind it at all though, and Jaehee was thankful for the extra help.

Jumin became a little more friendly too of course, though he still remained distantly polite. Suhee respected that and treated him the same, although most times the two would end up sharing awkward exchanges when it was just the two of them. It didn't hurt Suhee at all, for she didn't mind because all she really saw in him was an older mentor.

And then there was Zen.

Despite the fact that it was his perfect features that caught her eye first, she came to admire his talents even more. He was also more open, though most of his interactions with her were him flirting if anything. Suhee didn't mind and often played along, as well as becoming the source of complements that fed the narcissistic actor's ego. Regardless, if you would ask which of the members she gotten closest to, Suhee would answer with "Zen".

Let's not forget Naya too. Suhee tried her best to keep it hidden that she suddenly joined a club, gained some more friends, and got a job to occupy her time, but her neighbor was just too perceptive. "There is _no way_ you can just get all that in one day." The tan female told her before popping the question that earned her an explanation, though she wasn't told about the hacker. Once filled in, Naya accepted all of it rather well and questioned it no further. She was invited to Suhee's first party, and was grateful for the invitation, but her friend's growing relationship with Zen still worried her…

And now, with Valentine's day having just passed Suhee is found as usual working in the café with only Seven and Yoosung for company. After having served the two young men, Suhee walks away to double check the storage, and Yoosung risks a longing glance in her direction while letting out a long and loud depressed sigh.

Seven noticed this of course and turned to his friend with a concerned expression on his face and asked, "You okay?"

"It's…nothing." The blonde replied softly.

"It didn't sound like nothing when you sighed so loudly." Seven almost wanted to tease him to get the answer he wanted, but stopped when he saw how utterly lost he looked. "C'mon! You can tell me. You might feel better if you get it off your chest~"

"Are you sure?" Yoosung was uncertain at first, but his tone quickly changed to a suspicious one. "You won't tease me about it or tell anyone, will you?"

"I promise!" the red head seemed earnest, raising his right hand and crossing his heart with the other.

Once Yoosung was sure that his friend was being absolutely honest, he poured out his heart and explained. "I…thought that Suhee truly and genuinely liked me…" he said slowly. "So when Valentines came around I mustered up the courage and confessed my love for her when we were alone…" – he sniffed, but held back his tears – "But she turned me down!"

At first, Seven had the urge to burst out laughing at his friend's misfortunate tale, but then he remembered that he took an oath and quickly subdued it. Instead he began to console his friend and asked, "Do you have any idea why she rejected you?"

"Yeah…that's what hurt the most…" the blonde uttered as tears threatened to pour down his cheeks. "She said she just considers me as a little brother!"

"Aww. It's okay bro." the red head patted him on the back. "Plenty of other fishes…"

He trailed off as his smart mind went on to think of other things. Mostly of Suhee and how she might consider the other members as and if one of them had a chance with her…or not. He wanted to test that theory in fact, but he didn't want to be the subject.

Luckily for him, Jumin (who had just entered the café) was the perfect specimen to test it. At that moment Yoosung stopped his moping and became concerned after noticing the mischievous glint in Seven's eyes.

"Well, well, well…If it isn't the great Jumin Han!" the red head announced dramatically.

The raven haired man didn't even bother to look at him and didn't hesitate in saying a curt, "No."

"Aww~" Seven pouted. "I haven't even asked anything!"

"And yet I can tell when you're kissing up to get something from me." Jumin stated smartly. "Therefore, no matter what you ask, my answer is no."

"Can't you at least hear me out?"

Jumin remained silent in response, unmoving.

Yoosung, being the ever so curious one asked, "Seven…what are you planning now…?"

"Nothing…" the red haired male started with an innocent whistle, which became an impish grin. "…or maybe a breakthrough, _if_ Jumin decides to participate."

"And I already answered with a firm and unchangeable no." the raven haired man insisted.

Seven then began to plead and barter with him, telling him he'd do favors; anything so Jumin would do what he asked. "Then I have no choice…" he uttered slowly with distraught. "I must give up my Elly for this! Will that appease you enough you monster!?"

"Elizabeth the 3rd was never yours to begin with…" Jumin trailed off, yet suddenly was intrigued at the mention of his beloved cat. "But…you're desperate enough to leave Elizabeth the 3rd alone for me to participate in…whatever you're planning?"

"…Yes?"

Despite hearing the apparent uneasiness in his voice, Jumin caved. "Very well…But I'll only hear you out for a start. Anything beyond that will be left to be determined."

Seven took a look around to make sure that Suhee was still not present in the room and then told them of his scheme…

"What!? Seven, you can't just ask someone to do something like that!" Yoosung almost scolded, his cheeks going red. "That's messing with a person's feelings. Jumin, tell me you're not going to go through with this!"

"I'm not. Yoosung is right." The businessman stated, annoyed that the red haired hacker would even think to ask that of him. "I'm not going to participate in your experiment and toy with a woman's heart like some degenerate. I stand by my initial answer."

"No! C'mon please? I just want to see…" Seven started, almost pleading.

"See what?" he heard Suhee ask curiously, making him flinch.

"See…" the hacker answered, trying to make a cover up. "See Jumin's latest picture of Elly~" He turned and pleaded with him silently.

"It's Elizabeth the 3rd. And the answer is still no." the raven haired man told him, as if to put an end to the conversation.

He then turned to Suhee and asked for a cup of his usual. She got busy with his order, all the while Seven making pleading doe eyes at him. He couldn't take it anymore, so when Suhee approached and placed the mug at his table, he suddenly stood and said, "Suhee, would you do me the great honor of letting me escort you…perhaps to a movie or a restaurant…"

He trailed off and she was confused at what he was suggesting that all she could do was stare at him and say, "Um…what…?"

Jumin – now thoroughly disoriented – opened his mouth to explain himself, but at that moment a rather surprised and entertained Seven couldn't help but snort with laughter at the exchange between the two. This caught Suhee's interest and she turned to him asking, "And what's going on with you…?"

"S-Sorry." Seven replied between stifling fits of laughter. "I just did…didn't think he would actually d-do that."

"Do what, exactly?" She was now fully suspicious of the conniving males, gazing at all of them in turn for an explanation.

Jumin – being the most gentleman-like of them – faced her and explained the whole thing. At first she was shocked, but that quickly turned into anger as she swiftly took one of Seven's ears in hand and began to scold him.

"Ouch! Oh, please be gentle with me. I'm fragile!" he shouted pleadingly.

"And what makes you think I'll be gentle after that little escapade!?" Suhee asked angrily.

"Maybe…because you're a forgiving soul…" Seven trailed off and then winked at her before continuing playfully. "…And you have deep hidden feelings for me…?"

She was silent for a long minute with a shadow cast over her eyes so the males couldn't tell what her expression was at all. Continuing her silence, she pushed Seven into the chair he was sitting in aggressively and stomped hurriedly out of the café.

"Look what you did now Seven!" Yoosung uttered worriedly. "I told you it was a bad idea!"

The red haired hacker could only let out a low sheepish laugh in response, feeling the guilt settle in from his mistake. To add to that Zen arrived a couple minutes after that, inquiring as to why he crossed paths with a frighteningly upset Suhee. It was Yoosung's turn to explain and once informed, the white haired actor turned to his bespectacled friend, fuming and raring to chew him out.

"You know what? I'll deal with you later." He threatened somewhat calmly. "Suhee is more important right now…" – he placed his bag down on the nearest empty chair before turning to leave – "Watch my stuff for me, will you? Also, I ran into Jaehee on my way here. She'll be coming soon to take over so watch the café until she arrives too."

The three of them watched silently as he gallantly left to pursue his upset friend, and something clicked in Seven's mind. After a minute he stood and made a move to leave after the actor.

Yoosung stood and asked, "What are you doing now?"

"My inquiring mind needs to know…" Seven answered cryptically. "You guys watch the café. If I'm not back in an hour, give all my love to Elly for me~"

"That's never going to happen." Jumin commented.

"Seven, wait!" Yoosung exclaimed, unconsciously following his friend out of the café and around the campus.

It took no time at all to find Zen, with his white hair and pale skin he practically stood out. That and he decided to take a route to find Suhee that wouldn't cause him to run into too many other students that could possibly hold him back from his goal. Suhee had chosen a rather secluded spot to stop and take a breather anyway, so he had no trouble finding her as well.

Seven and Yoosung hid away from them nearby, but unfortunately they weren't close enough to hear anything. The gestures were more than enough for them to fill in the gaps, as they found that Zen easily calmed her down and reasoned with her.

Seven's suspicions were confirmed, and he was satisfied. Before Suhee and Zen could start their return, Seven led a quite confused Yoosung back to the café. In the meantime, Jaehee entered the café and was filled in by Jumin, who was (surprising to her) the only one there.

To finish, Jumin announced unrelatedly, "So I have a new project planned…"

"If it involves cat, then the answer is no." was all she said in reply just as Seven and Yoosung returned. Jaehee immediately got onto Seven about what he'd done to Suhee, and once Zen returned with her, an apology was given.

It seemed as if she accepted it, but when she approached the group with Zen's order she placed a complementary mug in front of the hacker. He gazed at it with confusion, watching as the sludge in the mug seemed to bubble and froth.

"…What's this…?" he dared to ask, turning his attention to her.

"Your punishment." Suhee answered as she flashed a menacing smile at him. "I hope you drink it, or I might not consider forgiving you _Luciel_ …"

He gulped, feeling the dread wash up as she sauntered away.

"It's not poisoned…is it…?" Yoosung asked curiously while the rest of them took a look at the concoction.

"Suhee would never go _that_ far." Jumin commented simply.

"Still, now I think it's best to stay on her good side for this reason…" Zen added and the two agreed with him.

"This is most definitely a warning." The raven haired male concluded, just as Seven lifted the mug and steeled himself.

"For Suhee…and my Elly!" he shouted out loud before downing the whole thing in one gulp, shocking his friends in the process.

 **…**

Fortunately there was no poison in Suhee's little concoction, but unfortunately it did leave Seven incapacitated for a week. In spite of that, Suhee did forgive him providing that Seven would promise never to do something like that ever again. He did, in the hopes that she would ultimately forget his blunder, but knew that he probably wouldn't have a chance with her because that day he realized…

That she possibly would never look at him the way she looks at Zen now…

* * *

 **Sorry for the slight ooc-ness. More of that will follow, but I hope that actually adds to the overall story.**

 **Also, an announcement; due to being slightly overworked trying to get two chapters written/typed by friday, I'm going to be submitting a new chapter of this every other week. Hope you enjoy and look forward to the next one (we'll be diving into the first half of Zen's route!).**


	5. Echo Girl vs Cats?

It was spring, and the big production to be performed by the selected few theater majors was finally chosen. The musical version of The Princess Bride was decided and the main role of Westley was to be portrayed by none other than Zen. He was thankful for his role, and put his all into the rehearsals, with Suhee backing him the most out of his group of friends. A few weeks later though, he approached them with some surprising news…

"Guess what everyone?" the white haired actor announced quite happily once he had them all gathered together and mildly interested. "I've got a new role…and it's amazing!"

Confused gazes were exchanged and Seven was the first to ask, "Zen, are you alright?"

"Yeah, did you bump your head or something?" Yoosung questioned further.

It was the actor's turn to become addled, as their questions didn't really make any sense to him.

"Zen…You told us you got a new role weeks ago, for The Princess Bride…?" Suhee explained.

Realization flashed across his face now, as it was his turn to clarify for them. "Yes I did, but I gave that role to my understudy and decided to do this much bigger production." He said. "It's being put together by a theater outside the university, and it's opening in a month, but they say that if I do well with it, there's a good chance I could start acting on TV sooner."

"Who is 'they'?" Jaehee inquired, interested but clearly upset as she and Suhee were looking forward to seeing Zen's rendition of Westley.

"Echo Girl's agency." Zen answered, earning himself gazes of shock from them (and one of disdain from Jumin). "She's going to be in it too. She insisted that I be the one to play the counterpart to her character so they approached me!" – a small alert sound could be heard, and he immediately checked his phone – "Oh, gotta go for a run through read of the script! Talk to you guys later!" And he departed just as quick as he had arrived, leaving the group to ponder on his decision.

"So this 'Echo Girl'…" Jaehee uttered with thought.

"I believe it's the same one who enrolled here." Suhee finished, and upon noticing the males' inquiring gazes, explained. "Naya filled me in on the day I arrived. I also heard that she'd auditioned for Buttercup, but didn't make the cut due to her being late to start classes among other reasons I'm unaware of…"

"Perhaps that is why she is the main role of the production she's backing." Jaehee concluded.

Suhee sighed with disappointment. "I was so looking forward to The Princess Bride though!"

"I agree, but we must respect Zen's choice and support him the best we can."

"You're making it sound as if Zen's made a terrible decision." Seven stated suddenly.

"Yeah! This could be the breakthrough he's been waiting for, with how popular Echo girl is!" Yoosung added, sounding excited. "Any song she releases hits number one on the charts and her photobooks sell in less than five minutes thanks to how many guy fans she has!"

"Is she any good at acting?" Suhee asked incredulously.

The blonde fanatic flinched at her question and looked away, trying to avoid answering it. Seven then stepped up and replied for him. "She has starred in a few TV shows, but her acting is left to be desired."

"Going on what we've heard from Zen, acting in musicals is more difficult than acting in television. I'm not sure she'll do well, but I guess we'll see." Yoosung stated, somewhat warily before getting excited once more. "At any rate, I hope Zen will get me an autograph if I ask him! I should ask for his too before it's too late and he forgets about us little people!"

"I don't think he'll change, Yoosung…" Suhee told him.

Not too long after Yoosung left, wanting to log in some LOLOL time before he had to meet with Suhee again for some tutoring later.

"Jumin, you've been remarkably quiet this whole time." Jaehee stated with mild surprise a few minutes later.

"Yeah," Seven agreed with realization and curiosity. "What are your thoughts on Zen working with Echo Girl instead of being in the university's production?"

"I do not oppose or support his decision." Jumin replied indifferently. "As for Echo Girl…I do know her. She's a good person, but she's just as emotional as all women are; no offense to you, Suhee and Jaehee."

The two women let his statement slide, and Seven – his curiosity now piqued – inquired more about the subject. Smirking he asked, "Don't tell me…that you and Echo Girl had something going on in the past…?"

"No is the short answer, and it'll be rude to talk about private matters any further." The raven haired businessman replied, putting a quick end to the conversation.

"You sound a bit disappointed though, Jumin." A very perceptive Suhee announced. "Are you sure you're as apathetic as you claim to be?"

"Actually, no. I am a bit disappointed really." He answered with arms crossed and brows furrowed. "I honestly was considering hiring Zen to be a model for my cat food commercial."

" _ **No**_." was all the two females deadpanned in unison.

"You _know_ Zen would never agree to do a job involving cats." Suhee stated further.

"But if he took a minute to at least consider it, he'll see that his so-called 'amazing looks' would work well in that situation." Their expressions hardly changed, apart from an incredulous rising of an eyebrow, so he explained. "Take a look at it from a business mindset. A lot of women purchase cat products. With Zen's participation, we'll actually see profit. It will also greatly help his career as well as his financial situation."

"That is true, seeing as he has to double up on performances because he doesn't get paid for being in the university's productions…" Seven agreed.

The two females exchanged concerned looks.

"But still, you can ask…Try to change his mind." Suhee said, choosing her words wisely. "And Zen will still reject your proposal and stick with Echo Girl's."

Despite Suhee's words of dissuasion and the overall negative attitude of the females for Zen and his possible involvement in the cat food commercial, Jumin still stubbornly proposed his idea to the actor. That led to Zen's ultimate displeasure in simply being in the businessman's presence.

Time and again they would cross paths. Jumin would propose his idea, and Zen would shoot it down immediately, only for it to be repeated whenever they happened to run into each other again. This happened so many times that even everyone else was getting tired of the repeating events. Weeks on end this happened until one fateful day…

" _Psst! Suhee!_ " Zen whisper called from the entrance to grab her attention. Once he had been successful in gaining it, he continued. "Is Jumin in there…?"

The chestnut haired female took a quick glance around the café just to be sure before she answered with, "No…at least not yet."

"Good." The white haired male uttered with a relieved sigh as he entered. "I'll have a cup of my usual then."

Once the warm comforting cup of tea had been served to him, Zen fully relaxed and let the two females know just how tired he was from avoiding the man and his harebrained cat ideas.

"I agree." Jaehee stated when he had finished complaining. "Any cat projects he proposes we work together on, I refuse. I don't want any part of them anymore."

"All he's really doing is fulfilling his own fantasies with the company's money." Zen grumbled with annoyance, his arms crossed. "Not to mention he's gone on about this project for far too long; to the point where it's gotten annoying…"

"Why don't we put a stop to it then?" Suhee suggested before turning to her coworker. "Jaehee, he only really seems to consider your opinion. Maybe you could try and stop him…"

At first Jaehee was uncertain as she thought Suhee was the better person for the job. And yet, she wasn't wrong either. The two of them worked on many a class project, and were usually lumped together. There was that, and Zen's pleading expression aimed at her while he asked if she could, "Try and stop him please."

Jaehee would've caved, but her more conservative side was in control at the moment. "There is nothing I can do about Jumin's obsessive passion for cat projects." She said and the two she was talking to took that as a no and groaned with disappointment. "I know Suhee isn't aware of it but need I remind you Zen, of the 'Find the World's Largest Cat' event I was naïve enough to help out with a couple years ago?"

Zen sighed, complaining he not be reminded of it. Jaehee explained to her friend that it was a big loss for his company and while it was being held there was rarely a moment for Jaehee to take a breather or even eat.

"Seriously, why does he even bother?" the white haired actor uttered.

"I don't know. I don't even really like cats." Jaehee answered. "Maybe he just finds pleasure in it. A de-stressor if you will…"

"So there's probably no way to stop him now…" Suhee concluded, and they all sighed in defeat.

A few minutes later Zen was done with his tea, and was about to leave when Jaehee decided that she had one last thing to say. "Zen, I have to know…before you fully go through with this…" she said slowly as he turned his attention to her. "Is it…really worth abandoning the role you were initially going to play for an opportunity to go up on stage with a celebrity?"

"It's way better for my popularity to go up on stage with someone famous." The actor replied with no hesitation. "Why do you ask?"

"Let's just say…" Jaehee was careful in choosing her words. "That seeing you go up on stage with a famous singer doesn't please me too much."

"You mean Echo Girl?" Suhee questioned curiously.

"I just think…that a true actress should go up on stage, rather than a singer." Jaehee explained. "I guess what I'm trying to say is…be careful Zen."

Suhee nodded in agreement and a soft smile played on his lips as he gazed at his close female friends fondly. "I will." He said, and then left to go work out…


	6. The Breaking Point

**21:12 PM**

 **ZEN**

 **ZEN:** I haven't had such a good workout in a while~

 **Suhee has entered the chatroom.**

 **ZEN:** Suhee…How did you know I just finished working out? *(*´∀｀*)

* * *

She couldn't help but smirk in response, as the perfect reply came to mind.

* * *

 **Suhee:** I don't know…I just had a feeling that my Zenny Sense was tingling so I logged on and here you are.

 **ZEN:** Lol! That was a perfect response! （＾＿－）≡

 **Suhee:** lolol So…got any post workout selfies to share?

 **ZEN:** Oh, you've got nice timing too.

 **Jumin Han has entered the chatroom.**

 **ZEN:** This'll take a second, pretty girl.

 **Jumin Han:** _**This is making me cringe.**_

* * *

Suhee wondered why the businessman even bothered to join in the chatroom if he was sending such a comment, and was going to ask, but the picture sent from Zen popped up on her screen just then. It was a simple casual picture, but he still looked amazing.

' _The camera just loves him…'_ she thought on more than one occasion – this being one of them.

In the selfie he was facing a quarter turn to the left with a black t-shirt on and a white towel casually draped around his neck. In his right hand with the rim tipped against his lips was a can of Kass beer.

Suhee didn't really mind his slightly crass habits of smoking or drinking. She didn't like it of course, but who was she to take over someone's life and tell them what or what not to do? Jumin however, wanted to make his case known.

* * *

 **Jumin Han:** Drinking, smoking, and then exercising. _**It all adds to nothing in the end.**_

 **ZEN:** Hey, don't jinx me!

* * *

Since Jumin made his case, Suhee decided she had nothing to lose and give her thoughts. After all, no matter what she was on Zen's side.

* * *

 **Suhee:** Everything is forgiven if you have good looks, talent, and demeanor so it shouldn't matter.

 **Jumin Han:** I understand the latter two, but good looks? You must have pretty shallow taste.

 **ZEN:** What do you mean shallow!? So what if we consider good looks as a number one aspect? Your father – who you at least have some regard for – likes pretty girls so does that mean he has shallow taste?

* * *

Suhee didn't really pay total attention to the rest. It was just some gossip that the latest girl he's with is pretty but was trashed for not knowing what KFC stands for. Almost unsurprisingly, Jumin didn't either.

She focused back on the conversation just in time for Jumin to bring up just what Zen had been avoiding him for.

* * *

 **Jumin Han:** We appreciate the selfie, _**so answer my question.**_

 **ZEN:** No;

 **Jumin Han:** Why don't you want to be the cat food model?

 **ZEN:** Wh- Are you seriously asking me that!? _**I have trauma with cats.**_

 **Jumin Han:** Not knowing the appeal of cats is basically dissing 50% of the joys life can offer.

 **ZEN:** Yeah right…

* * *

While Jumin did have a point, (she did happen to like cats herself) Suhee didn't want to fan the flames, so she suggested a sort of compromise the two males could (hopefully) agree on.

* * *

 **Suhee:** Why don't you come up with a commercial Zen can do well without the involvement of cats?

 **ZEN:** Hey, that's a good idea! Suhee, you always seem to have the right idea.

 **Jumin Han:** So you've chosen to chase away the fortunes that were practically thrown to you. I do not have any other job for someone who is not a professional. Forget that you do not get along with cats and consider it. This is business.

 **ZEN:** It's not that I don't get along with them; it's my allergy. You _know_ how bad my fur allergy is!

 **Jumin Han:** What do you mean?

 **ZEN:** _ **You don't remember bringing that fur ball to the part that time before last?**_

 **Jumin Han:** Oh…You mean the time when everyone was admiring Elizabeth the 3rd's beauty… _while you were stuck in the corner spraying snot?_

 **ZEN:** Don't remind me…

 **Suhee:** No wonder he hates cats…lolol

* * *

She couldn't help but stifle her giggles while imagining Zen in the corner, sneezing crazily from the fur flying and the very presence of Jumin's cat. She also felt bad though, as the way the businessman described it there was no one to console the poor guy with a tissue.

The conversation continued with Zen incessantly saying he was allergic to a man who was not listening, or at least giving horrible advice to "overcome it with love". Zen disagreed, saying it wouldn't work and that he really only needed her to understand him, which made her heart swell.

* * *

 **Jumin Han:** I'm giving you my advice. No matter how famous you become as a musical actor, there's a limit to your earnings and fame. _**It's common sense to grab the opportunity to make yourself more known.**_

 **Suhee:** You are right about that, but maybe you should consider his allergy a bit more? ^^

 **ZEN:** Yes. I'd love to jump at the opportunity, but _**I'M ALLERGIC!**_ Give me a proper opportunity – anyone but cats – and I'll do it.

 **Jumin Han:** You're saying that the project is not proper?

 **ZEN:** That's not what I mean…God.

 **Jumin Han:** You always have some sort of excuse to refuse my help.

 **ZEN:** This time it's not an excuse. _I'M ALLERGIC_

 **Jumin Han:** Hope it's not because you're not a professional.

 **ZEN:** (;*´Д`)ﾉ I can't get through to you. _**You're trying to mess with me on purpose right now, aren't you?**_

 **Jumin Han:** No way.

 **ZEN:** You _know_ I'm allergic to cats. Why are you doing this?

 **Jumin Han:** It's an arrogant thought to think that I would waste my energy to find ways to mess with you.

 **ZEN:** _ **Seriously. You…are such…a douche…**_

 **Jumin Han:** Maybe I'm just trying to help with the best intentions.

 **ZEN:** Doubt it;

 **Jumin Han:** At times you must make compromises to play with the big dogs. If you go through me, you'll be able to make the climb up there to them easily.

 **Suhee:** But isn't that also the attitude you should have when you want to cast a good actor?

* * *

She couldn't help but smile victoriously at her achievement at not only getting Zen to laugh, but turning Jumin's words on their head. Unfortunately the two of them didn't foresee it backfiring so quickly.

* * *

 **ZEN:** Nicely put Suhee!（＾＿－）≡ If you really think I'm good for your cat food line, then convince me. Win me over!

 **Jumin Han:** _**…You want me to win you over?**_

 **ZEN:** Yes!...Wait, I mean no…Not that way. That's not what I meant! I mean for business! Strictly business!

 **Jumin Han:** You want me to send you a bouquet of roses?

 **ZEN:** No! Don't… _EVER_. I'll burn it and get rid of the ashes too.

 **Jumin Han:** _**You'll still have the ashes though.**_

 **ZEN:** Damn! (‡▼益▼) I've never liked you saying that I can succeed if I work with you. Even when you offered to help advertise my off campus musicals, you told me not to ignore the power of money and learn how to compromise and many more useless lectures I don't want to mention!

 **Jumin Han:** _**I don't really remember, but those words are all true.**_

 **Suhee:** Please stop harassing Zen, Jumin…T_T

* * *

Unfortunately her words fell on deaf ears as the argument continued in a downward spiral. It seemed that Zen was getting more angry, and Jumin appeared to be drunk…or something because his answers were getting more ridiculous. By the time she was asking for Jumin to stop with the teasing again, Suhee knew for sure that he was just torturing and messing with Zen on purpose.

Thankfully, as Zen was mentioning that he needed to leave and go practice, Jumin agreed, wished him luck, and then signed out of the chatroom.

* * *

 **Jumin Han has left the chatroom.**

 **Suhee:** He's gone now Zen so can you please calm down a bit…? ^^;

 **ZEN:** Yeah…I probably should. Thanks. It's so difficult to stay calm around that jerk…I hate that he hurts my ego. It happens every single time…But with you here now, I feel like I can stand it. I'll try really hard and really get things right this time to prove that I can succeed without his help.

 **Suhee:** I agree, but please don't overwork yourself. I'm sure Jumin probably means well despite what he's said here.

 **ZEN:** Okay. I'll try to think like that. I'm gonna go practice. Don't stay up too late. *(*´∀｀*)

 **Suhee:** Hope rehearsal goes well, lovely Zen. ^^

 **ZEN:** You cutie. Lololol Alright, I'm sure it will. ^^

 **Zen has left the chatroom.**

* * *

Suhee grinned and blushed as she gazed at the last few messages and then signed off herself. Hoping that Zen would calm down and move on she put down her phone, suddenly feeling inspired. So in the next few hours that passed, she flipped between sketching and participating in various chatrooms.

The time passed so quickly for her that before she knew it, it was one in the morning and she was getting a phone call. Suhee warily picked up her phone but once she saw the caller ID, she quickly accepted the call.

"Zen…?" she uttered into the receiver quizzically.

"Oh crap. Suhee, I'm sorry. I forgot yours is the first number programmed into my phone now. I must've accidentally pushed the speed dial…" She heard him reply and blushed, but was more concerned with how tired and distraught he sounded. "But…what are you doing up so late?"

"Just some sketching. I lost track of time though." She laughed a little sheepishly. "I'll probably go to sleep after this…" – she paused – "Are…you okay, Zen?"

A long deep and sad sigh came first, then his uncertain voice saying, "I think…I think I twisted my ankle…"

"Oh my gosh, Zen! How bad is it? Can you move? Where are you right now? Do you want me to come to you?"

She was standing up now, her mind in a million different places as she tried to figure out whether to get ready first or just go. She was so focused that she blocked out Zen's voice, unaware that he was calling out to her.

"…hee. Suhee!"

"Yes?"

"Please calm down…"

"Oh…right." She took in and let out a deep breath to do as he asked and then sat down. "…But I still have to ask…Is there anything I can help you with?"

"I don't think so, but thanks for being concerned. I feel like I don't deserve this, when I dug my own whole by falling for that jerk's provocations and overworking myself. I'm so pathetic…" He sighed again.

"But you're not pathetic. I would've done the same in your position. How bad is the injury?"

"I don't think it's that bad, but it will take some time to heal. Still…I'll have to miss rehearsal like this. This was going to be my big break too…"

"Don't give up yet, Zen. First put your mind on going to the doctor. Maybe then you'll find that it's not too late for regrets."

"You're right…but it's late. I'll have to call 119 ***** and get an ambulance. I'm going to be okay…I'll get through this."

"Yes you will, Zen. I'm right behind you one hundred percent - we all are. Just get to the hospital safely…"

"Okay…" He paused, almost seeming to want to hang up, but continued anyway. "And Suhee?"

She perked at his words. "Yes?"

"Thank you."

* * *

 ***I wanted to be really thorough, so while it does say 911 in the english version, I decided to use the Korean emergency phone number instead.**

 **Also, I made a small change in the last chapter making a shift from Beauty and the Beast to The Princess Bride and the role of the Beast for Zen into Westley (I just remembered seeing him in that Zorro poster and thought he'd look better in a mask rather than as a beast). And, if you haven't seen The Princess Bride, I highly recommend it! It's one of my top movies.**

 **Also also, I know this is well on the way with the Casual Story with the secret ends, but since playing Another Story (I'm still on the 10th day so no spoilers please), I kind of want to give V a slightly different/better end, so I might tweak it a bit. We'll see.**


	7. The Visitation Dispute

"Suhee, have you seen Zen at all yet today?" Jaehee asked curiously in passing the next morning. "I…saw the chat from last night and wanted to make sure he's okay, but he hasn't answered any texts and I can't find him or his motorcycle…"

"Oh…he might still be at the hospital…" her chestnut haired friend uttered in reply, watching as Jaehee's eyes widened with shock at the sudden news.

"What happened!?" the brunette inquired further.

"Jumin got a little too under his skin so while practicing last night…and he twisted his ankle." Suhee explained slowly, trying to gauge her friend's reaction. Remarkably she kept her cool despite initially being shocked. In fact, she looked more disappointed than anything at the moment.

"He must have practiced so hard that he hurt himself…" she stated aloud with thought. "Knowing him, I hope he doesn't get too upset about missing rehearsals and possibly losing his role."

Suhee, being the ever so optimistic one, spoke up and countered with, "Zen hasn't lost the role yet so let's wait until he comes back."

Jaehee was shaken by Suhee's comment, but quickly regained her composure and replied with, "Yes of course. You're right." – she paused – "I just don't want him getting too stressed about his predicament. He should focus on getting better. Maybe I should visit him at the hospital…"

"Maybe…It's best to wait and see how things play out. Besides, Zen would probably want us to keep attending our classes. It's good to worry a little, but he wouldn't want us sacrificing our grades."

"That's true." Jaehee sighed.

"Hey, why don't you at least let Jumin know, and I'll find Yoosung and Seven and tell them, okay?"

"Yes." The brunette agreed with a nod. The two then said their farewells and parted for the time being.

Suhee had no trouble finding the two youngest members, as they made it a habit to spend their brief mornings before class messing around in the library. Once informed of Zen's situation, she found that they took the news rather calmly. At least, they were calm concerning Zen, but as for the part that involved Echo Girl…

"Goodbye rehearsal…Goodbye Echo Girl's autograph…" Seven uttered sadly when it had sunk in.

"How could you say that right now?" Suhee asked him, disappointed in the red head's disregard for Zen's well-being.

"Yeah Seven, that's cruel." Yoosung agreed, but then continued under his breath. "I won't be getting mine now either though…" – he paused, noticing that the chestnut haired coordinator was now aiming that look at him – "Ahem. We should be worrying about Zen…more than the autograph…"

"Zen's perfectly fine though. He heals really quickly, remember?" Seven commented a little too casually. "If anything I should start spreading that 'Zen the Alien' rumor I've been cooking up for some time now."

"Please don't" the female deadpanned with a little concern before changing her expression to curiosity. "But what did you mean about Zen healing fast…?"

"It's exactly as Seven says." Yoosung answered just as cryptically. Upon seeing her confused, he elaborated. "It's so…weird. His bones mended in just two days last time. It was almost like he took one of those healing potions…"

Suhee now understood a little more and became hopeful with this new development she just heard. "So you're saying that Zen heals quicker than average?" she asked, just to be sure and the both of them nodded in reply. "Then…he might still be able to make it to rehearsals and do the play, right?"

Yoosung answered with a rather firm yes, but Seven wasn't as sure, saying he didn't think he would have enough time to practice, as Echo Girl established that she wanted to open the play as soon as possible, and they only had less than a week left.

"He only has four days left now. That means if he heals in two days, he only has two days to practice." The red headed hacker clarified. "Is he really going to be in peak condition by the first performance?"

Yoosung suddenly lost hope from Seven's explanation. "Aww man…This was going to be such a big opportunity for him…" he uttered sadly. "He must be really upset about losing his chance."

"He's almost a professional. He has to be prepared for situations like this." Seven stated, giving his version of the hard truth. "Since he's incapacitated and probably won't be ready for opening night, they probably have an understudy ready to replace him."

"Zen's really good though. I know he'll be able to pull this off!" Suhee announced, not losing heart. "He could practice things that don't require any movement, for example."

Once again the two males failed to agree with her hopeful suggestion, saying that it would only be good for a show where he was locked up and that the musical probably didn't involve that. Regardless, they parted ways after the males expressed admiration in Suhee's confidence.

So, throughout that morning she was unsure of how to feel about the situation, at least until she spoke with Zen that afternoon…

* * *

 **ZEN, Suhee**

 **ZEN:** Hey Suhee. Sorry for not contacting you and making you worry.

 **Suhee:** Zen! When did you get back? Do you…want to meet for lunch…?

* * *

She blushed and wanted to take it back, but it was far too late now. Unfortunately for her, Zen answered with…

* * *

 **ZEN:** I'm…actually at home right now, but thanks for the offer. They put me in a cast, so now I can't practice.

* * *

To add to that he sent a picture of his left foot, which was in fact bound in a cast and foam support shoe. Suhee, upon seeing the picture, became concerned for his well-being and so asked.

* * *

 **Suhee:** Oh no…does it hurt at all?

 **ZEN:** Honestly, I don't care if it hurts. But more than that…I'm sorry for upsetting you last night. The doctor says I'll have to keep the cast on for two weeks. If I'm not careful, it might lead to a more serious injury so he told me not to do anything rash…Damn…

* * *

Another picture then came through; a selfie of him somberly holding a pack of cigarettes for her to see. Her heart ached at how low he was feeling that he had to turn to smoking to feel better. Before she could respond though, he continued.

* * *

 **ZEN:** I'm sorry…for sending you a photo like this. Really, everyone including the director always tells me to take a break, but I couldn't help myself.

 **Suhee:** Zen, I know you're feeling down right now, but it's not good to rely on cigarettes to help you feel better…

 **ZEN:** I know…I should reconsider smoking them. Anyway, since I can't do the show the director will be disappointed. So will you and Jaehee who supported me…and everyone in the RFA…and my fans…I'm so ashamed of myself, though thankfully none of my fans know yet…I was so happy yesterday Suhee, at least for the most part. You must think I'm pathetic…

 **Suhee:** You're not pathetic at all Zen! It was just an accident.

* * *

Time and again during their chat, Suhee tried to inject some hope into her friend. He agreed with her advice in general, but he still seemed upset. Most of it was him thinking that he was disappointed in him, which she quickly refuted. She seemed to cheer him up for the moment, but the next thing he said proved that he might've needed something more to get better.

* * *

 **ZEN:** …As Jumin said, I should grasp this opportunity given to me…You know…I can't practice my moves but I think I feel relaxed now that I've talked it out with you. I know it's a little late for lunch, but maybe we could meet up and hang out sometime?

* * *

Suhee was shocked and her heart fluttered for a moment at his question, but she showed no hesitance in sending her reply.

* * *

 **Suhee:** I'd love to!

 **ZEN:** *(*´∀｀*) I'm happy you feel that way. I'm not sure if it'd be okay with classes going on, so really it's just a wish. Just know that it would be nice to see you. I'm going to go get some well needed rest now.

 **Suhee:** Hope you feel better Zen.

 **ZEN:** Okay. Thanks…for being here and talking with me. Talk to you later.

 **ZEN has left the chatroom.**

 **Suhee has left the chatroom.**

* * *

For the rest of the day Suhee was giddy and hopeful about meeting Zen somewhere sometime and hanging out. But unfortunately that feeling was short lived when Jaehee shot those dreams down later that day at a meeting held to discuss how to uplift Zen's spirit…

"I'm glad that all Zen needs is a cast…" the brunette announced to start the conversation, as she and the other members happened to read the chat. "But I'm worried about this talk of visiting him…"

"What is there to be worried about?" Jumin asked nonchalantly. "He'll be fine in two to three days."

"You may be right but we all know Zen." Yoosung said calmly. "I think that no matter who goes to visit him…he just needs someone to comfort him."

"So who is willing to go and do so?" the businessman inquired further.

For a moment all was silent. Just as Suhee had gained enough courage to say that she would go, Jaehee spoke up instead. "I thought I would go to comfort him and help him out."

All eyes hovered over to the chestnut haired female who backed out in favor to the first female. "I think Jaehee should go too…Honestly in my opinion it doesn't matter who goes as long as Zen gets better." She said and they all agreed.

But before it was determined that Jaehee go, Seven spoke. Having noticed Suhee's longing for this, he dared to ask, "Why doesn't Suhee go?"

Both females trained shocked gazes at the red head, whereas the males raised inquiring eyebrows. They all turned to Jaehee for her answer.

"I've heard that many have seen how they act when together, and have witnessed it myself. If the two of them meet under more personal circumstances at his place, and the newspaper or his fans find out, Zen's popularity might be damaged." She explained.

Even though her words did sting a little, Suhee agreed with her. "I…really don't care who goes." She insisted, waving it off. "As long as Zen feels better, I'll be happy."

"Whether or not you do, it's still strange." Jumin ascertained seriously. "Why is it okay for you to go Jaehee, and not Suhee?"

"I was planning on asking to borrow your company's limousine and security guards, since you still owe me plenty." The brunette answered coolly. "That way, no one will misunderstand the situation."

"If that's the case, then all I have to do is lend Suhee in my limo." The raven haired man concluded, making her go oddly quiet. "So what's really going on…?"

For a moment longer she was silent until she informed them. "I'm just trying to prove my point. I will always keep in mind that Zen is a celebrity and keep my distance. I'm not so sure that Suhee will do the same when it's just the two of them alone…"

"So you're jealous."

"No, I'm not."

"I've seen the earlier chat and this doesn't change the fact that it is Suhee Zen wants to see right now."

With Jaehee starting to seem upset at Jumin's continual slightly insensitive comments, Suhee spoke up and said, "Jaehee, I understand that you're a little anxious right now, but Zen and I are really just friends." – she then turned to the others – "And really, I'm okay with Jaehee going, so let's just adjourn this meeting and go get some rest. We're all a little exhausted from the day's events…"

They all agreed and did so, retiring to their respective living spaces.

Once Suhee arrived at her room, she noticed that she had received a text from Seven. She opened the app and read what he had to say…

* * *

 **707:** Hey. Sorry for putting you in the spotlight earlier…

* * *

She answered with…

* * *

 **Suhee:** It's okay. But why did you do it? You totally cornered Jaehee and got her all upset. If I hadn't stepped in…

 **707:** Oi! It was Jumin that cornered her, and that happens almost on a regular basis. Besides, I saw how much you wanted to volunteer to go help Zen out and I wanted to back you up. I didn't think it would blow up like it did and I'm sorry for that.

 **Suhee:** Thanks, but Jaehee still sort of had a point even though her words did sting a bit…

 **707:** The way I see it, Jaehee's really strict about principles so she'll never want Zen for herself. She just admires Zen as a fan and it's really important for her that he continues to act. Since her only other hobby besides managing the café and coffee is watching his performances, if Zen gets involved in a scandal and has no choice but to stop acting, Jaehee might get seriously depressed.

 **Suhee:** If that's the case then I understand. I don't want to be the reason Jaehee could lose her joy.

 **707:** Hey don't back down yet! If Zen really does want to see you, I don't see any reason for you not to.

* * *

She was unsure, but seeing that Seven was rooting for her gave Suhee a little confidence. She smiled and gave her reply.

* * *

 **Suhee:** I would like to visit him if I had the chance to…

 **707:** Yes, go and see him~ He's so depressed right now. I'm sure if u go see him, he'll cheer up in a second. U can even take Yoosung with u if ur worried about things getting awkward.

 **Suhee:** Thanks Seven. But…why are you doing this…?

* * *

There was a pause.

* * *

 **707:** I just want you to be happy, that's all…


	8. Important Announcement!

I know I promised double uploads this time, but guys...I gotta be honest with you.

 **I don't like this story...**

It's a great idea and all, but I think I started too prematurely, it's becoming more of a chore for me and I hate to have to force the words. Plus there are some other stories that need my attention first (stories I started before this one).

So here's what I'm going to do...

I'll put it on hiatus.

During that time (and in-between penning other fics) I'll be going back and polishing/rewriting it, and then I'll come back with it new and improved!...Maybe, we'll see.

Hopefully you'll be willing to wait until then, and my other Mystic Messenger fanfic, Life Goes On will still be submitted as usual.

Thank you so much for the faves, follows, and reviews so far, but I want to ask something of you as well.

 _It would be a huge help if you guys could give me your critique/opinions on what you would like to see more of (or less of) in the renewed version._ Harsh critique is even welcome, as I must admit that I'm my own worst critic.

Anyway, hope you guys won't be too upset about this, as I do want to make this the best story it can be!

Until then...Bye! ;)


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